This Week's Historical Theme: Groundhog Day
2 February 1887
A significant event throughout the history of Groundhog Day that occurred in February was the first ever celebrated Groundhog Day. It featured a rodent meteorologist and took place at Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania. Tradition stated that if a groundhog came out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather. If there was no shadow, it means an early spring. The day also has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for the winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be.
In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters from Pennsylvania declared that Phil, the local groundhog, was America's only true weather-forecasting groundhog. The line of groundhogs that have since been known as Phil are America's most famous groundhogs, but other towns across North America have other weather-predicting rodents, like Staten Island Chuck and Birmingham Bill. In 1993, the film 'Groundhog Day' popularised the usage of 'groundhog day' to mean something that is repeated over and over. Today, tens of thousands of people visit Gobbler's Knob to witness Phil's prediction.
Want to find out more about the history of the Groundhog Day? Click here for more information, or here for more information about Groundhog Day 2021.
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